Prohibition in the United States was ratified under the 18th Amendment in 1919 and officially established in 1920, making the transport, sale, and production of alcohol illegal. The National Prohibition Act, commonly referred to as the Volstead Act, was subsequently passed to establish methods of enforcing the law. Washington State passed a statewide prohibition law in 1914, then became the 22nd state to ratify the national bill in 1919. Prohibition became hugely popular due to the efforts of organizations such as the Prohibition Party, Anti-Saloon League, and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, who championed the movement on health and moral grounds. Due to the inefficient enforcement of the law and increasing crime rates from black market sales of alcohol the 18th Amendment was repealed in 1933 with the passing of the 21st Amendment.

Wesley Livsey Jones was a Republican Senator from Washington State, serving from 1909 to 1932. During his time in the Senate, Jones championed federal investment in the Pacific Northwest while serving as Republican whip and a chairman of the Appropriations and Commerce Committees. Jones was a strong proponent of Prohibition, even attempting to pass legislation to strengthen its enforcement. As Prohibition’s popularity waned in the late 1920s, Jones’s stance appeared outdated and old-fashioned. He lost the 1932 Senate election and died shortly after.